Wyoming Weatherbys

[Adam in WI]

Anyone has experience with Weatherby since they ditched Cali? Looking at a Weathermark or possibly an Accumark if I can find a deal on one. Are they worth the money? Chambering would be 6.5 CM or possibly one of the .270s. I'd also considered a new M70 Super Grade, but I don't know anymore. Just looking for a nice rifle I guess. Bonus if it shoots great.

 

[K22]

Don't have experience with the Wyoming mfg. but I doubt the standards of the Mark V have changed just because of they moved.

I own one Mark V, the Super Varmint Master in 223 Rem. I paid $1,500 for it in 2009 which for me was a lot of money. I was going to have a custom varmint rifle built but my rifle smith recommended the aforementioned rifle saying, "I can't built one better than that one and the one I build will cost more."

He went on to say that he would take it back and refund my money if I wasn't satisfied. You guessed it, he was a avid Mark V fan and has successfully hunted big game all over the US including Brown Bear in Alaska and Sheep.

This was an offer I couldn't refuse so I took the plunge. It is the most accurate out of the box rifle I ever owned with five shot groups in the sub 1/4 moa range with tailored reloads. The trigger is perfect. One Mark V purchase does not make me an authority of the Mark V but mine exceeded my expectations. I'm still taking ground hogs with it with about 1,500 round count.

Personally, I wouldn't paid the kind of money Weatherby charges for a Mark V these day for a big game hunting rifle. You don't need a tack driver and there are better value options for a big game rifle. But everything is relative - if you have that kind of disposable income then the price isn't a deal breaker. The Mark V reminds me a "status" type rifle for those who are into that sort of thing.

Also, while I'm not a competitive target shooter, I wouldn't go the Mark V route for this application either. Talk to those guys and find out what their shooting. I would bet there are better value and performance options with that application too.

I justified my purchase on the basis that a varmint rifle is going to get a lot use and not sit in the gun safe 11 months out of the year. Also, the built was going to take 6 months whereas I had my Mark V in two weeks. I elected for the 223 Rem because of the long barrel life and I could amortize the cost of the rifle over a long period of use.

 

[Adam in WI]

I recently had a Portugal mfg model 70 Extreme Weather in 7mm-08. That's one rifle that stands out to me as one I wish I had back. That being said, it wasn't perfect. For a $1200 rifle I still wound up fire lapping it, adding a Timney trigger, extending the mag box... Not earth shattering mods, but still; when one spends that kind of coin on a rifle you'd like it to be pretty much turn key. I don't know what I'm thinking anymore, honestly. I don't shoot competitively, I don't hunt far away and exotic places or species; I hunt deer. I occasionally am lucky enough to get a nice long lunch break to sneak off and launch a couple. I shouldn't need premium equipment, but dammit this has been a lifelong passion of mine and hopefully one my kids will pick up on too. Life is too short to shoot the crap that comes from chain stores.

 

[Dusty Stevens]

Im glad they moved to a free state.

 

[strut64]

Weather by has never made a firearm. They outsource everything. They just wanted out of the people’s socialist paradise of California. I would also.

 

[hunter67]

Have a rifle built and make it as beautiful as you want

 

[weedhopper]

I bought a vanguard meateater .308 at Sportsmen warehouse and it’s outstanding.
Broke the barrel in like the manual recommend and it cleans up like a custom barrel. 3 shot groups have been always under 1 MOA and some around .625
Its made in Japan but I like the way the company is going.

 

[Dusty Stevens]

Weatherby wasted many years selling those polished pretty guns in calibers not everybody wanted. Looks like a more ear to the ground management is there now

 

[Kracken McGraw]

I always thought I wanted one of their 257 for a ultimate coyote rifle, but now that I know what a custom build is its not going to happen. I’m sure there great rifles though.

 

[Kurz]

Weatherby wasted many years selling those polished pretty guns in calibers not everybody wanted. Looks like a more ear to the ground management is there now

"...wasted many years selling those polished pretty guns in calibers not everybody wanted."

I have a hard time using the word 'wasted' since it appears that over the decades, enough folks found the cartridges and rifles desirable enough to pay Weatherby's price and keep the company viable.

"...polished pretty guns..."

Like magpies and bowerbirds, humans are often attracted to brightly polished and shiny objects. I have no desire to get into the reasoning at all but only to say that it occurs.

The love of high velocity and the shiny, high polished hardware of the Weatherby offerings still create the demand for their rifles and cartridges. The application of proper advertising methods attracts the uninitiated to read about what they are missing.

Besides shooting nearly every cartridge in the Weatherby line, I still own a German made Varmint Master in .224 Weatherby. (image is not mine)



Yes, the hardware is highly polished, the barrel is a pencil and the wood is shiny. But my handloads will print small groups when I don't rush the number of shots and overheat that barrel. Yes, I could have built a beautiful .22-250 for the same amount but I was won over by curiosity.

 

[6fatrat]

When I was younger I wish a company I worked for would have decided to move to Wyoming!
Steve Bair

 

[INTJ]

Anyone has experience with Weatherby since they ditched Cali? Looking at a Weathermark or possibly an Accumark if I can find a deal on one. Are they worth the money? Chambering would be 6.5 CM or possibly one of the .270s. I'd also considered a new M70 Super Grade, but I don't know anymore. Just looking for a nice rifle I guess. Bonus if it shoots great.

I love CRF M-70s and the quality improved dramatically after FN started running things a few years ago. That said, the best way to get a nice rifle like you want is to have one built. You don't have to spend $8000 either.

Get a CRF M-70 donor rifle, a barrel, the stock of your choice, and have a gunsmith put it together. If you start with an FN M-70 it probably doesn't even need to be trued.